


Find Your Centre

by LurkerNoLonger



Category: My Mad Fat Diary
Genre: Alternate Universe, Awkward Flirting, F/M, POV Rae, Yoga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 20:45:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18818677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LurkerNoLonger/pseuds/LurkerNoLonger
Summary: Rae and Chloe attend a yoga class.





	Find Your Centre

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing happens in this. Literally nothing. Yet it still manged to be upwards of 3,000 words. This is the fic I was referring to in this [post](https://lurkernolonger.tumblr.com/post/164294673428/write-what-you-want-to-read), which seemed to resonate with some. So maybe you’ll enjoy? Or not. I don’t know.
> 
> Also it's my first try at an all Rae POV. Be gentle, please.
> 
> Originally posted to Tumblr October, 2017.

“Nope. No. No way. Not happening.” Rae shakes her head violently and begins walking backwards from the door.

“Rae, come off it would you? We’re already here.” Chloe pulls her back, pushing her closer to the large glass window that looks into the studio.

“Look at these people, Chlo! There’s no way I’m bending head over arse in front of them! What if I topple over and crush one – OH GOD what if I start a domino effect and the whole class goes down?!”

“Rae.” Chloe shakes her head and rubs at her temples, unsure if she wants to laugh or scream. Rae was always on it with her self deprecating humour. “Everything is going to be fine. Look, we said we would try new things, yeah? This is a new thing. And Kester said it could help with your anxiety. _Our_ anxiety.”

“Yeah well, fuck Kester! I’d like to see him showing off his rectum to a room full of beautiful lithe people.” Rae gestures wildly at the window, before her face scrunches up in disgust. “Eugh, rank mental image. Forget I said that.”

Chloe giggles but clocks the genuine fear in Rae’s eyes. Grabbing Rae by the shoulders, she squares her so they’re face to face. “Rae, nothing bad is gonna happen. We’re gonna go in, take the class, feel great about ourselves, and then go home and complain about how sore we are, alright?” She gives her a reassuring squeeze. When Rae just looks down, Chloe adds “We’ll grab a spot in the back, okay?”

“Yeah, alright. Thanks Chlo.”

The pair quietly enter the room where the rest of the attendees are chatting away, setting up and stretching on the mats laid out for them. Rae chooses a spot in the back corner, conveniently away from the mirrors that line the opposite walls. A pretty blonde girl directly in front of them is already twisted up in some impossible looking pose and Rae feels incredibly out of place.

“Jesus. Everyone in here looks like a fucking ballerina,” Rae whispers incredulously, tilting her head to one side to try and figure out how the girl even got in that position.

Chloe looks around, a slight worry on her own face, until a wicked grin sweeps over her expression. “He,” Chloe inclines with a tilt of her head, “is no ballerina.”

Rae looks up and instantly feels her stomach twist in to it’s own contortion. Stood near the front of the class is possibly the most beautiful boy she has ever laid eyes on (and she’s seen Damon Albarn live). He’s wearing shorts and a plain top, both of which show off his toned muscles, which somehow are flexing despite all he’s doing was reading over a piece of paper. His hair is brown and floppy and as he ruffles it absentmindedly, it lands in a perfectly dishevelled coif that on anyone else would look messy but on him looks just right. Rae moves her gaze lower admiring the curve of his lips, the cut of his jaw, the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.

Another bloke approaches him and they greet each other with a grin and a high five, and Rae takes note of how his smile is actually kind of goofy. It gives him laugh lines and makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and his sex appeal is swiftly thrown in a pick-n-mix of utterly endearing cuteness, and Rae’s pretty sure she’s in love. They’re laughing now, the two boys, and fuck if his laugh isn’t goofier than his smile. It’s choppy, waving in and out like a tide, and Rae wants to dive in and maybe float there forever.

His eyes (which are just as brown and soft looking as his hair) shift to her as his friend speaks, and that’s when she realizes she’s been staring. Open mouth, unapologetic, obvious as fuck staring. Rae looks away quicker than she should, the urgent movement basically confessing that “yes, indeed I have been ogling you”, and swipes at her chin with a hand because she was probably certainly drooling. Her eyes are wide as she stares down at her mat, chastising herself internally for being caught out. She keeps her head lowered and counts to ten before she allows only her eyes to flick back towards him and _what the fuck?_ He is still looking in her direction. Rae thinks she sees him bite his bottom lip against one of those crooked smiles, but she’s too busy trying to act like she’s not thinking about his mouth in that much detail to be sure.

“Ahem,” Chloe coughs smugly next to her. “Happy we stayed then?”

Rae scowls at her before shoving at her shoulder with a shush, trying to hide the fact that she’s positive the hot blood in her cheeks has increased the entire room’s temperature. She tells herself to focus on literally anything else besides the fact that one look off the bloke has made her thighs tenser than any yoga pose probably would.

Rae wants to shrink away, keep her focus on the ground, but her stupid eyes are stubborn and again they pivot to the front of the class. He’s not looking this time, but his body language has changed. Dare she say he’s conveying shyness, and how someone who looks like that could be unsure about anything Rae doesn’t know.

He has one arm across his front, grabbing at the opposite elbow while his thick eyebrows are knit slightly and _for fuck’s sake_ his grumpy face is somehow more attractive. Rae thinks absently about kissing that furrow away before moving to those pouting lips and… _fuck_ , he’s looking again. He’s looking and Rae is too surprised to react so they just stare at each other for a few heavy seconds before the hand grasping at his elbow releases it’s hold and starts waving tentatively. Rae’s eyes double in size and she whips her head from side to side to see who else is around, because there is no way _he’s_ waving at _her_.

Except he is. And when she allows her hand to wave back – small and low, really just the tips of her fingers – she feels incredibly daft. That is until his face is breaking in to that devastating grin and she doesn’t notice that she’s sporting one to match. He chuckles and Rae clocks a dimple and a smattering of freckles and, really, it’s unfair for one face to have so much going for it.

“Oi, don’t think the class paid to watch you two flirt,” Chloe whispers with a giggle, nudging Rae in the arm and breaking the stare down.

“Yeah, don’t think they paid to drown in the flood in my knickers either!” Rae shoots back.

Chloe laughs so hard she falls on her back and has to clamp a hand over her mouth when several people send them dirty looks. Rae is warm all over, but for once it’s not from the negative glares. No, it’s all thanks to one person’s attention. The brown eyed, brown haired, epic slice who is…standing at the head of the class and trying to get everyone’s attention?

_Bloody. Hell._

She’d only gone and stared and made awkward eye contact and _fucking waved_ at the fit as yoga instructor! And now she’s supposed to watch his Greek God of a body bend and twist into positions that will definitely haunt her later when she’s alone in bed. Chloe’s caught on as well, her palm cupping her mouth again to stifle her giggles, and Rae slaps her arm with the back of her hand.

“S'not funny! This is embarrassing!” Rae whines in a whisper.

“Why? So you made eyes at each other. No big deal.” Chloe shrugs.

“The _big deal_ is I need new knickers from just looking at his face! How am I meant to watch his body do…things?!? Fuck Chlo, I am literally paying him to teach me how to make a fool of myself! Let’s just go, please?” Rae grabs Chloe’s wrist and moves to stand but the boy’s voice interrupts her.

“Right, this is ‘Yoga for Beginners’! My name is Finn and I’ll be your instructor today.” There’s a general mummer in the room at that, along with most of the girls (and a few guys) exchanging sly looks with their friends. “I see a few new faces today, so to them I’d like to say welcome and I’m glad you came.”

There’s no way that Finn’s gaze zeros in on Rae as he speaks. Except it does. And in reaction she drops Chloe’s hand, fearing the blazing heat of her skin may scald her. Finn and Rae’s eyes lock again and suddenly leaving doesn’t seem so urgent.

\---

It wasn’t so bad. Thankfully when the course said “for beginners” it was mostly truthful. Rae managed the mountain pose, the pigeon pose, and the tree pose with no problems. She was ace at the corpse pose, and it helped to be able to stare at the ceiling instead of examining the way Finn’s arms flexed and rolled with every movement, or how his back muscles showed through the soft white cotton of his tee, or how strong his thighs looked and what would they feel like pinning her down – _CEILING Rae, keep your thoughts out of the gutter and on the ceiling!_ There were also a lot of deep breathing exercises where their eyes were shut, which were quite helpful to follow the positions where Rae had to look at the other people as examples, because watching Finn do a bridge or cat pose was just too suggestive for her apparently filthy mind.

At one point, Finn had instructed the class to “find your centre”. Rae assumed he meant balance but the only central thing she could focus on was the ache from between her legs. The worst of it was when they were attempting the Bharadvaja’s Twist. The pose itself was fine, (Rae surprised herself with how bendy she was) but Finn had been walking around the room, checking postures. She felt him pause as he stood behind her, before his whispered voice was in her ear.

“Alright if I just adjust your shoulders?”

Rae could feel his warm breath on her neck and she worried she would let out a moan rather than an answer should she open her mouth, so she only allowed her head to nod minutely. His hands felt heavy but gentle, and as he tilted her slightly so she wasn’t so sloped, she’s sure the movement caused her heart to shift as well.

“Good. That’s…you look good.”

His voice was husky and so, so close that she had to press her nails into her palms to stop from wondering how it would sound moving through the thick air under her duvet. Rae wasn’t sure if she imagined how he pressed into her skin a second longer than necessary, though she was certain that once he’d returned to his mat he hadn’t stopped to adjust anyone else. She looked over at Chloe who shot her a conspiratory smirk and raised brow, and Rae couldn’t help her own smile.

\---

At the end of the session, nearly all the attendees rush to the table at the head of the room where Finn and another employee are taking registrations for the next set of classes.

“I liked this a lot, babes. Think you’d come again?” Chloe asks as she rolls up her mat.

“Er I don’t know. It was alright, I guess. Don’t think it calmed me much…” Rae tapers off, her eyes once again darting in Finn’s direction.

Chloe follows her eye line and smirks. “Right. Maybe another class then? Reckon this one had an unforeseen stress factor.”

Rae tries to keep her face plain, but Chloe pokes her shoulder with the end of her mat and they both start giggling.

“Ugh, they should put a bloody disclaimer on the class description! ‘Caution: Fit teacher. Attend at own risk to ovaries.’” Rae shakes her head with a wry laugh, picking up her bag to leave.

“Right well, hang on to your uterus then,” Chloe whispers back.

“What?”

Chloe lifts her brows and tilts her head, indicating Rae to look behind her. When she turns around, she sees Finn heading in their direction.

“Shit! What’s he coming over here for?! Chlo, whatever you do DO NOT leave me alone!” Rae grabs at Chloe’s arm pulling her right to her side.

“Relax, babe. I got your back.”

Finn’s gait slows as he approaches, eyes glued to the floor, bottom lip caught between his teeth. He looks hesitant, nervous even, and Rae thinks it strange that he’s displaying all of her own feelings. He finally looks up when he reaches them offering a small closed lip smile.

“Hiya.” Finn outstretches his hand towards Rae, but her brain is too occupied by how completely gorgeous he is up close, and how completely fucked she is to compute any motor skills. An awkward second passes, with his hand just hanging there until Chloe swoops in and grabs it in an enthusiastic shake.

“Hey! I’m Chloe and this is Rae!” Chloe chirps brightly before releasing his grip, knocking Rae purposely with her elbow. When no one else speaks up she adds, “Great class! Very…zen.”

“Thanks,” Finn huffs a breathy laugh before another silence causes his brows to meet. He clears his throat, eyes shifting to Rae who looks away from him immediately. He presses his tongue into the corner of his mouth, before glancing off to the side.

“Riiiiight. I think I’m just gonna go put my mat away. Let you two…chat. Or, not. Or…I’ll just be over there.”

“Chloe!” Rae hisses, adding a quiet “traitor” under her breath. She looks to Finn giving him a sheepish half smile, before she clears her throat. “Sorry about that.”

“S’alright.”

There’s another awkward pause before their eyes catch, both smiling shyly.

“So…was it good for you?” Finn’s brows are raised in question, and his hand has found his elbow again. “The class, I meant!” he adds hastily at Rae’s widened eyes.

“Oh! Er…yeah. It was better than I expected. Not that I expected it to be bad, or anything! You were dead good to watch. Not that I was watching you!! I mean well I was, since you’re the teacher and all. Which you’re great at, by the way. Suppose it was just easier than I thought? Or you made it look easy. To me. A beginner. Didn’t know I could bend like that!”

Rae chuckles nervously before looking away to cringe at her waffling, fighting the urge to face palm. She quickly scans the room for Chloe, or another excuse to scarper, or maybe a black hole to suck her right out of this universe; any means of escape, really. But when she glances back at Finn his whole face is crinkled with that goofy smile, his eyes dancing with…something she can’t quite name. He hasn’t said anything though, so Rae takes it as her chance to end the torture.

“Right well, I should go find Chloe. Thanks for…you know.” She gestures vaguely around the room before pivoting on her heel to walk away, shaking her head at her ineptitude. She makes it a whole two steps before she hears Finn behind her.

“Ilikeyourshirt!” he blurts, the words blending together from his rushed delivery.

Rae turns to find him one arm out stretched in the air as if it flew up along with his exclamation, his other hand rubbing the back of his neck, brows furrowed. He looks just as confused as she is, like he didn’t expect his body to eject those words, and now Rae has seen enough of his face to know for sure any and every expression this boy makes is completely adorable. Finn looks at her then, offers a sort of pained grimace with a simultaneous shrug (and, _yup, still cute_ ) before his eyes drop to her top. She looks down as well, remembering she had thrown on her Stone Roses tee.

(Chloe, who had been chatting up Finn’s friend, walks back into the room to rescue Rae. When she sees the pair still stood silent – both just staring at Rae’s chest – she quickly turns back round to wait in the hall.)

“Erm…thanks.”

Rae shifts uncomfortably, cursing her decision to wear a sports bra. This fit lad is basically staring at her chest while she was suffering from major uni-tit. Prays the inferno in her face will heat the rest of her and prevent her nips from being on display. _Holy fuck, he’s watching the boob-tube!_ The realization of the situation hits her and she crosses her arms over her stomach; a well practised move for a chubby girl who often tries to swallow her own size. Doesn’t take in to account that now her forearms are acting as a tit shelf and she is basically presenting them to him.

The movement seems to snap Finn to attention and he coughs roughly, looking away finally. He’s embarrassed, if his flushed face and red-tipped ears are any indication and Rae thinks now would be the perfect time for that black hole.

“The Roses are mint. Don’t know a lot of girls that listen to them.” Finn’s still palming the back of his neck, eyes flicking between the toes of his trainers and Rae’s chest.

“No?” Rae lifts her brows in question, not sure if she should be flattered or offended.

“No. None actually. It’s…refreshing. I like it.” Finn chuckles bashfully, scratching at his bicep and nodding to himself as if he’s finally pleased with what’s he’s said.

“Yeah well, I don’t listen to that mainstream stuff,” Rae asserts.

“No Crap FM,” they both add in unison, their eyes snapping to look wide-eyed at the other. Their surprised expressions slide into baffled amusement and then they’re laughing, neither of them noticing that they’ve both taken a step closer.

“Er…will you be back next week? For the class?”

“Oh uh, I’m not sure. Maybe. You’ll be teaching?”

“Yeah. I’ll even wear _my_ Stone Roses tee. We can match.”

“Actually I think I’ll be repping Oasis,” Rae teases, starting to walk backwards away from him.

Finn follows her, keeping the distance between them short, that lopsided smile sliding across his beautiful, beautiful face. “Oh, is that how it’s gonna be?”

Rae trips on an abandoned mat and stumbles backwards a bit but Finn reaches out, hands catching her at the waist. Instinctively her hands find his shoulders, before she corrects herself. She’s embarrassed; wants to cover up with a joke about how she should have “namaste-d in bed”, but her wit gets lost in how close Finn’s face is to hers. She’s too occupied wondering what constellations she could draw amongst those stupidly charming freckles to notice Finn’s eyes are focused on her lips.

“Yeah, that’s how it’s gonna be,” she finally replies quietly, more confident than she feels.

“Then I’m very much looking forward to next week,” Finn answers back, just as quiet.

Rae presses her lips together to stop from smiling too wide, or babbling on, or just snogging his face off, and takes a step back. When she turns to head towards the door, she hears Finn chuckle before humming the opening chords to _She’s Electric_.

Yeah, she’ll definitely be back.

**Author's Note:**

> Told you nothing happened.


End file.
